Chapter 071: Video Call

After hearing this, Lin Yan didn’t say anything more. She simply turned and selected the option to accept the incoming video call.

As soon as the video connected, two figures appeared on the computer screen—a man and a woman, both clad in standard combat uniforms.

The man was Huang Feng, while the woman was Qin Qing.

Lin Yan wasn’t particularly surprised to see Huang Feng, but when she noticed Qin Qing standing beside him, she couldn’t help but glance at her a few more times.

There was a reason—Qin Qing was stunningly beautiful. In terms of looks, Lin Yan felt she couldn’t compare, not even by a long shot.

Li Gang glanced at the two figures, but didn’t linger on Qin Qing. Instead, his attention was fixed mainly on Huang Feng.

The reason was simple. Although Qin Qing was undeniably attractive, in his eyes, Lin Yan was far more captivating.

From the moment the call connected, Huang Feng barely spared Li Gang a glance. His gaze fell upon Lin Yan and never left her, a look of genuine delight in his eyes.

“Lin Yan, I never would have imagined it would be you. This is wonderful,” Huang Feng’s voice came through the speaker, full of surprise and joy.

“Brother Feng, I’m just as surprised to see you. I didn’t expect you’d become a Chosen One too,” Lin Yan replied with a smile.

Seeing a familiar face in the apocalypse brought her genuine happiness. It wasn’t just that she’d known Huang Feng for years, or that he’d been personally trained by her father. More importantly, they were both from the same hometown.

Of course, while the reunion of old friends brought Lin Yan joy, the expressions of the other pair—a man and a woman—remained stoic.

Li Gang harbored feelings for Lin Yan. Meanwhile, after spending some time with Huang Feng, Qin Qing had begun to develop her own affections for him. Thus, upon hearing the exchange between Lin Yan and Huang Feng, both Li Gang and Qin Qing found themselves lost in their own thoughts.

“Lin Yan, I don’t know why you only checked the military base’s communication today, but now that you’ve become one of the Chosen, it’s truly a blessing for our country. With you, the ace sniper of the former South China Military District, our nation’s chances of winning this game are at least seventy percent,” Huang Feng said, his tone earnest and excited.

His desire for Lin Yan to join forces with him was written all over his face.

“Brother Feng, I already have my own teammate. Besides, you have your own companions now, don’t you?” Lin Yan replied with a gentle smile, turning down his proposal with tact.

“That’s alright. Bring him along—we can form a team of four,” Huang Feng said after a brief pause, glancing at Li Gang behind Lin Yan before turning back to her.

Although Li Gang was also in combat attire, it was obviously not a military uniform. He might look the part, but he lacked the bearing of a true soldier. Huang Feng could tell at a glance and promptly lost interest in him.

Lin Yan was different. She was a recognized prodigy sniper in the South China Military District, her skill in close combat matching even the male special forces soldiers.

Even if he went all out, in a real fight to the death, his odds of victory against her were only sixty to seventy percent, with less than a ten percent chance of actually subduing her.

After all, at their level, even among special forces, they were elite. The likelihood of being captured alive was almost nil—usually, it was either survive or die in battle.

“Brother Feng, we grew up together. I know your temperament, and you know mine. If we were to form a team, you wouldn’t follow my lead, nor could I fully submit to you. Neither of us could accept the other as the sole leader.

Also, in this game, I just want to experience a different life as an ordinary Chosen One. I don’t want to fight and kill endlessly for the sake of the mission or simply to win in the end.

Of course, I do want victory, but it isn’t my only priority.” Lin Yan’s voice was calm.

In any special operations squad, the most fatal problem was whether each member could follow orders unconditionally.

Huang Feng fell silent at her words.

Standing behind Lin Yan, Li Gang felt a wave of relief. He had no desire to interact with Huang Feng—he could tell at a glance that Huang Feng wasn’t easy to get along with.

It was true that Lin Yan had long made it clear she wouldn’t join up with Huang Feng, even if he was an old acquaintance. But now, hearing her call Huang Feng “Brother Feng,” he couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

Ultimately, whatever decision Lin Yan made, he would support her, never object.

Li Gang’s expression didn’t betray his feelings, but across the screen, Qin Qing broke into a clear smile when she heard Lin Yan’s words.

After that, Huang Feng and Lin Yan, both understanding, didn’t press the issue of teaming up. Instead, they chatted casually about old times in the military. Perhaps they were mindful of Qin Qing and Li Gang’s presence, so they kept the discussion light.

At this point, the conversation became far more relaxed, and laughter filled the air between them.

“Lin Yan, how many fragments have you acquired so far, and which ones are they?” Huang Feng asked suddenly, smile fading.

“Stamina and speed,” Lin Yan answered truthfully.

“Ah, those two,” Huang Feng replied, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes. “I’ve already gathered three—just missing the strength fragment. I’ve just sent you the mental fragment as a token of brotherhood.”

Sure enough, before he finished speaking, a document transfer notification appeared on the computer.

Lin Yan’s eyes brightened. She placed her smart wristband against the computer, quickly copying the file to her own device. It was the mental fragment of the Basic Guidance Technique.

After confirming everything was in order, she considered for a moment, then packaged her own notes and theories on the four basic fragments and strengthening methods, copied them to the computer, and sent them to Huang Feng.

“These are my summaries and insights on the four basics, along with some thoughts on self-enhancement. I hope you find them useful,” she said once the transfer was complete.

Although she and Huang Feng were close, she didn’t want to owe him too much.

After that, they chatted about other topics before, with tacit understanding, ending the video call. Throughout, both parties avoided discussing the people currently at their sides.

“At this stage, I think the mental fragment is more important to you than the strength one. I’m sure you feel the same, or you wouldn’t have prioritized strengthening your mental faculties. You should make a copy to your own wristband and focus on training it in the coming days,” Lin Yan said to Li Gang after confirming the call had ended.

Li Gang nodded and, without a word, stepped forward to copy both the mental fragment and Lin Yan’s notes that she’d sent to Huang Feng.

Unlike Lin Yan, he wasn’t close to Huang Feng and felt no gratitude toward him for the gift.

In fact, he harbored a certain hostility toward Huang Feng, suspecting that Huang Feng had some ulterior motives regarding Lin Yan.

No matter how he looked at it, he found him disagreeable.

“Let’s go. We should check out the arsenal where the military base stores its weapons. Your combat uniform is just a replica—not only is it very different from the real special forces uniform, even a regular unit’s gear would be better.

We’ll get you a proper set—not just the uniform, but boots, gloves, and helmet as well. I also want to see if this base has anything truly worthwhile. I know there’s a famous combat unit stationed here, so with luck, we might find something good,” Lin Yan said as she walked out, having seen Li Gang finish copying the files.

Li Gang quickly followed, perhaps feeling a bit guilty about secretly copying the files meant for Huang Feng. He kept quiet along the way, unusually subdued.

Lin Yan noticed his change in demeanor, assuming he was still thinking about the video call, and didn’t give it much thought.

A little over ten minutes later.

When Lin Yan and Li Gang pushed open the door to the arsenal, Li Gang felt as if his eyes had been opened for the first time.

Inside, a dazzling array of firearms was neatly arranged in rows. There were even seven or eight different types of man-portable rocket launchers, each with at least ten units.

Lin Yan led him around, stopping now and then by selected weapons to give Li Gang a brief explanation of their power and how to use them.

Li Gang touched nearly every heavy weapon he found impressive, but not a single one triggered a warning for prohibited equipment.

This meant that none of the weapons here were classified as illegal.

He was utterly ecstatic.

“I’m showing you most of these weapons so that you’ll recognize them in the future. That way you won’t be blind in battle, unsure of what you’re facing or how dangerous it is.

In all likelihood, you won’t have the chance to use ninety-nine percent of these in combat. Just get proficient with the automatic rifle I gave you.

Of course, you should also practice with a rocket launcher or two, but since both the launcher and the ammo are bulky, just focus on one type for now,” Lin Yan said, dampening his excitement a little.

Li Gang’s thrill diminished by half, and he lamented the fact that so many weapons would just gather dust here.

They moved slowly through the arsenal, and after several minutes, reached the very back, where four flat, square metal cases were arrayed, labeled: “New JGS Bulletproof Vest.”

Upon seeing the label, Lin Yan’s eyes immediately lit up as she strode over.